Opposition Says CPP Village Chief Has No Rights to Dismiss Election Monitor

Sam Rainsy party's (SRP) officials in Siem Reap charge a village chief believed to be lenient toward the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of dismissing the party's voter registration's observer from the voter registration's office in Soth Nikum county.

The SRP officials consider this action a violation of the National Election Committee's (NEC) guidelines which says village chiefs must remain neutral.

Opposition party officials allege that SRP's voter registration observer, Mr. Chhaem Bun Chheang was dismissed by the angry village chief, after arriving at the office, to observe the procedure for the communal election.

SRP legislator, Ms. Keo Sovannaroath in Siemreap calls this action an intimidation, not only on opposition Sam Rainsy party's observers, but also an influence to the Cambodian people (to make decision at the election).

She says that provincial and village authorities have no rights to intimidate parties' representatives. The village chief cannot be reached for comment. But Kien Sangke's village chief, Mr. Hong Ly acknowledges some cases to be true, but that his village council held a meeting and tries to solve the problem.